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A Desperate Gamble

Author: Jay_Chula
last update Last Updated: 2025-01-19 19:59:35

The void tightened around me like a vice, suffocating and infinite. My mark burned brighter with every passing moment, its heat coursing through my veins like molten fire. The golden-eyed specter in front of me leaned closer, its cold grip on my arm unrelenting.

“Decide,” it hissed again, its voice echoing in the hollow expanse. “You don’t have much time.”

But before I could answer—before I could choose—something pierced through the void. A presence, familiar and grounding, cut through the suffocating emptiness like a blade of light.

“Daniel!” Rigel’s voice.

I turned toward the sound, hope surging in my chest. But the specter tightened its grip, yanking me back.

“He cannot save you,” it sneered, its golden eyes blazing.

“Watch me,” came Rigel’s voice, low and filled with defiance.

The air around me rippled, and Rigel’s form materialized from the void. His eyes locked onto mine, blazing with determination. But his face was pale, his body trembling with the effort of being here.

“You sh
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